Combined Counties: Burnham beaten by North Greenford but promotion rivals also falter

Leaders Burnham visit Ardley United this Saturday. Photo: Paul Butler/Burnham FC

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North Greenford United 2, Burnham 0

Burnham missed an opportunity to move seven points clear at the top of the table on Tuesday night after losing 2-0 away to North Greenford United at a rain-swept Berkeley Fields.

On the one hand, Burnham’s players will be kicking themselves they didn’t take a host of decent chances, with the visitors missing a penalty and striking the woodwork on a couple of occasions.

But on the other, promotion rivals Ardley United, Windsor & Eton and Ashford Town all dropped points and missed the chance to fully capitalise on Burnham’s loss.

They therefore maintain their four-point lead at the top heading into Saturday’s key clash at rivals Ardley.

It simply wasn’t the Blues night in front of goal. Having missed an early penalty, they fell behind to a spot kick which Charlie Jay Mitchell buried in the 23rd minute. The hosts then rode their luck at times before sealing victory through Joseph Mills’ close-range finish in the 67th minute.

While defeat will frustrate joint managers Mo and Omz Bakali, they’d have been relieved to see the other results on the evening. Second placed Ashford Town were beaten 3-2 at home by mid-table Abingdon United, while Virginia Water held fifth placed Ardley United to a 1-1 draw at home.

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Amersham Town 0, Windsor & Eton 0

Windsor & Eton moved up to sixth in the table despite being held to a goalless draw by Amersham Town  last night. 

In dreadful conditions at Spratleys Meadow, neither side created too much in the way of clear-cut chances and a point apiece felt about right.

The result did see them leapfrog Hilltop and move to within 11 points of the leaders with seven matches in hand.

Win a significant proportion of those matches and they’ll put themselves right in title contention.

The Royalists may have had one eye on Saturday’s rescheduled FA Vase fourth round tie at home to Fisher FC of the Southern Counties East Premier Division. The game was postponed on Saturday due to an unplayable surface at Stag Meadow and the heavy rain of the past couple of days doesn’t bode well ahead of the weekend.

Ardley – who host Burnham on Saturday – have five games in hand on the Blues and trail them by only nine points.

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Weather permitting Holyport will also resume their relegation fight at home to North Greenford United on Saturday.

Port ended a dreadful run of 12 straight defeats in all competitions with a 3-1 win over Hilltop on Saturday and are now only two points from safety.

The signing of former Ascot United player Harry Laflin has helped steady the ship, as has the form of Amari Dumont who scored twice in Saturday’s win.